Martin Community Center to re-open soon

The Martin Community Center will be reopening soon following a special meeting of the Floyd County Fiscal Court last Friday.

Martin Mayor Sam Howell said on Tuesday that the fiscal court had approved the lease agreement with the city, and that he anticipated the center would be re-opened within two weeks.

Howell says that there are still some flooring issues that need to be addressed, after recent flooding caused damage. According to Howell, the police department and dispatch center will also be moved back into the community center.

The doors to the center were closed and locked on December 31, 2012 when outgoing Mayor Thomasine Robinson surrendered the building back to the county, and chose not to re-up the existing lease. In the waning days of her administration Robinson oversaw the cities abandonment of the facility including moving the cities dispatch center out of the community center, and into the Mayor’s office in city hall.

The city leases the community center from the county for $1 dollar a year. According to Keith Bartley, the renewal of the lease was automatic, and Robinson needed only to present a check to the fiscal court for $1 to have kept the property with the city.

The Community Center recently had new hardwood basketball floors added, and Howell says that he hopes the Housing Authority will return to continue their after-school program in the facility. Howell told the city council last week that he believes the center can be self sustaining, and that they will closely manage it’s expenses.